Time operated controlling means



April 26, 1 .938. Mo soN ET AL 2,115,689

TIME OPERATED CONTROLLING MEANS Filed April 1, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l L7 5 8/ v EZTTQ,"

as Znnentors Qeorqe Morrison By Charles Cameron.

- Cittorneg April 26, 1938.

G. MORRISON ET A| TIME OPERATED CONTROLLING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1936 3nventcrs Ce m are n George 77? orri so Charles Cttorneg I Patented Apr. 26, 1938 PATENT OFFIQE.

TIME OPERATED MEAN S Poughkeepsie, N. Y.,

George Morrison,

CONTROLLING and Charles Cameron, lllasbrouek Heights, N. J.

Application April 1, 1936, Serial No. 72,088

1 Claim.

This invention relates primarily to a time oper ated controlling means of that class whereby certain mechanism may be operated in an automatic manner at predetermined times or periods; and

5 the invention relates particularly to a device whereby a valve may be opened to admit gas or water to heating devices, such as type-metal melters, water heaters, cooking stoves, furnace dampers, and the like, or for operating time looks, electrical circuits, or any mechanism at a predetermined time.

Clock operated mechanisms have been employed for this purpose, but when a twenty-four hour clock is used, it requires winding every day,

and when an eight day clock is employed in industrial plants for operating heaters, looks, or flow of gas, etc., where it is not desired to operate on holidays and Sundays, an eight day clock will function every day of the eight, and thus on holidays and Sundays, the apparatus will have to be reset, the same as the other days.

The amount of force exerted by the alarm mechanism of an alarm clock is very small; and to turn valves, switches, locks, dampers, and the like, it requires considerable force and it will be found necessary to incorporate into a device of this kind, suitable mechanism whereby the force exerted by the clock is stepped up or compounded in a mechanical manner and not by electrical means which are liable to fail through interruption of the current supply.

In the operation of gas or water valves, switches and the like, it is important that they be operated in as near an instantaneous manner as possible, and not by a slow movement. I is therefore desirable that the clock operating mechanism act in a quick and positive manner.

To overcome these and other objections, we

have devised a simple, durable, and eiiicient in- 40 strument operated by a clock mechanism, but which is capable of being set to operate only on predetermined days or hours within its capacity of an eight-day winding.

The object of the invention is to provide a 4.5 clock controlled and operated mechanism where by at predetermined intervals, certain devices may be operated to release, lock, or otherwise function.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the operation may be set to skip certain days.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby, when the gas valve has been opened, no further action takes place until the valve operating rod has again been reset.

.pipe I2.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described and claimed, and further illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part 5 hereof, and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, and it is understood that slight changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 10

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with the cover removed, and shows the mechanism set to operate at 7:00 A. M., to open the valve in a gas pipe. 15

Figure 2 is a similar view, with the ratchet wheel removed, but showing the changed position of the several parts after the operation has taken place, and the gas valve has been opened.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the 20 line 3-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail rear view of the ratchet wheel and trip pin.

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial vertical elevation of the clock and the mechanism operated thereby, showing the operating lever set, and the timing means.

Figure 6 is a partial top plan view of the same, partly in section, and set to operate at 7:00 A. M.

Figure '7 is a similar view, but showing the tim- 30 ing means in position to release the latch operating device.

Figure 8 is a partial detail View of the latch and its operating mechanism, in released position, with the valve operating rod in open posi- 35 tion, and the lock lever in operative position.

Figure 9 is a detailed View of the timing disk.

Figure 10 is a detail view of a compound gear drive and kick-off for exerting greater power.

In the drawings:- 40 The device as here shown, comprises a casing l0, having a removable front cover H, and back l3 adapted to be mounted adjacent to a feed gas pipe l2, or other device which it is intended to operate, and which may be an electric switch, door latch, etc.

The operating mechanism is mounted upon the inner surface of the back It, and comprises a rod M vertically reciprocable in the bearings I5 5 and IS; the lower end of said rod M being connected by the links H to the end of the valve lever ll! of the valve l9 controlling the gas Ihe upper end of the rod !4 extends above the casing Ill, and, being provided with 21. 5

hand knob 20, it may be raised to a set position.

This rod I4, between the bearings l5 and I5, is provided with a lug 2|, square at the bottom and beveled on the upper side to allow it to freely pass the latch 22 upon the upward movement of the rod l4, as actuated by the hand knob 25.

The latch 22 is pivoted as at 23 near its upper squared end to the back I3 and is normally retained with its upper end contacting with and in an engaging position with the lug 2| of the rod l4 by a spring 24 having one end attached to the latch 22 below its pivot point. The other end of the spring 24 being attached to the back l3, thus retaining the latch 22 in engagement with the lug 2| to retain the rod M in its raised position, and the valve lever l8 closed.

For moving the lower end of the latch 22 towards the rod l4 and thereby the upper end away from the rod l4 to release the lug 2| and allow the rod M to drop and turn the valve lever 8 to open, a ratchet wheel 25 is rotatably mounted upon a stud 28 attached to the back I3. This wheel 25 is formed with a long hub 2'1 and a pin 28 extending from the rear face of the wheel 25, parallel to, and spaced from the hub 21 in such a manner, that once during each complete revolution of the wheel 25, the pin 28 will contact with and swing the latch 22 on the pivot 23 to move over the lower end of the latch 22 and release the upper end from the lug 2 I.

This latch 22 is designed to be operated at predetermined times by a clock operated mechanism which may be set for a certain time each day. In addition to this, we have so designed the clock operated mechanism, that it may be set to skip certain days, as holidays, and the like.

For this purpose we employ an eight-day alarm clock 35 of the usual type, having a vibrating clapper arm 3!: an hour hand 32; a minute hand 33; an alarm set hand 5%; and the usual winding keys, etc. The bell is removed from the clock, and the clock is removably secured within a frame 35 secured to the back I3.

This clock frame 35 has a lug 35 to which is pivoted as at 31, an arm 38 which extends downward over the face of the clock and back to the bezel 39 and in front of the hour hand 32. A pin 40 is secured to, and projects from, the hour hand 32 and is adapted to contact with the said arm 38 and move the same across the clock face, as far as the hour hand 32 travels through that part of a revolution; moving the said arm 38 once during every twelve hours, the arm 38 being carried back by the spring 43 and rod 4|.

Pivoted to the upper end of the arm 38, is a rod 4| slidably mounted in a bearing 42 secured to the frame 35; the projecting end of the rod 4| having a spring 43 and collar 44 to normally retain the rod 4| and the arm 38 in the position shown in Figure 5.

Adjacent to this red 4|, a vertical stud 45 is formed on the clock frame 35, and upon this is rotatably mounted a timing disk 46, which is formed with seven ratchet teeth 4'1, and a notch 48 corresponding to the eighth tooth.

This disk 46 is provided with a knurled knob 49, by which it may be turned to set it, and also has a curved peripheral guard 50 having one end secured to the disk and its free end extending past to the notch 48.

For moving the disk 46 tooth by tooth, or one tooth per day, a pawl 5| is mounted on the rod 4| in engagement with the teeth of the disk 46 and retained by a spring 52, which may be released for resetting.

The clapper arm 3| of the clock 33 extends upward, and when the disk is in the position shown in Figure 9, it is held between the periphery of the disk 46 and the guard 5H and is thus prevented from vibrating until the disk it is moved to bring the notch 48 into registry with the said clapper arm 3|, when it may have free vibratory movement as actuated by the alarm mechanism of the clock.

To the upper end of this clapper arm 3| is pivoted, as at 53, a reciprocating rod 54, the free end of which is slidably mounted in a bearing attached to the back i3. This rod 54 passes by the ratchet wheel 25 has mounted therein a pawl 56 in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 25 and retained by a spring 5? in such a Way, that when the clapper arm 35 is released by the timing disk 55, the alarm mechanism of the clock 30 imparts a fast vibratory movement to the rod 54 and thus rotates the wheel 25 quickly to operate the latch 22 and release the rod M.

For preventing further rotation of the ratchet wheel 25, after the rod M has descended and opened the valve |9, and before the rod M has again been raised and reset, by the knob 20, a lever 68 is pivoted to the back l3 as at GI, and is formed with a long arm extending past the rod l4 and retained in normal engagement with a stop pin 62 in the back I3 by a spring 53; and has a short arm 64 extending upward. As the rod l4 descends, a pin 55, secured thereto contacts with, and moves the arm 55 downward, bringing the short arm 54 into the path of the pin 23 on the ratchet wheel 25 and preventing the further rotation of said wheel 25, until the rod 4 is raised, allowing the spring 63 to move the arm upward and the arm 64 out of the path of the pin 28.

In the operation of the device, assuming that it is desired to open the valve 59 in the gas pipe I2 at 7:00 A. M each day.

The clock 33 is wound, both time and alarm, and the hand 34 on the alarm dial is set for 7, the pawl 5| is placed in the tooth number seven. Assuming that the apparatus is started at 8:00 P. the rotation of the hour hand 32, which, due to the contact of its pin 43 with the lever 38, moves the rod 4| and pawl 5! advancing the timing disk 45 one teeth, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, bringing the notch 48 into registry with the clapper arm 3|. When the hands 32 and 33 of the clock 3|! indicate 7:00 A. M., the clapper arm 3| will vibrate, rotating the ratchet wheel 25 to kick off the latch 22 and release the rod i4, allowing it to drop and turn the valve lever it.

When the pin 65 on the red M has contacted with the lever 60 it prevents further rotation of the wheel 25, and, upon the next complete rotation of the hands no further action will take place until the rod M is reset.

Should it be desired to skip a day or so, as in the case of holidays and Sundays, the pawl 5| is. set into the proper tooth of the disk 36 so that the hand 32 can make several complete revolutions, advancing the disk 46 one tooth at a time until the notch 48 is in registry with the clapper arm 3|, the said clapper arm 3| being prevented from vibrating while confined within the guard 50.

Other devices such as, an electrical switch it) may be operated at the same time, by connecting them by a rod TI to an arm 72, having one end pivoted to the rod M and the other to a pin 13 in the casing l0.

As shown in Figure 10, the ratchet-trip may be compounded for hard work by the addition of a pinion 80 to the shaft 26, in mesh with and driving a gear 8| on a stud 82; and this gear 8| has a hub 83 corresponding to the hub 27 of the ratchet 25, and a kick-off pin 28.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

A time controlled valve actuating mechanism comprising in combination with a clockwork mechanism having an hour hand and an alarm mechanism provided with a vibratory arm, of a vertically moveable plunger connected to said control mechanism, a pivotally supported latch normally retaining the plunger in raised inoperative position, a pawl and ratchet connection between the vibratory arm of the clockwork alarm mechanism and said latch and operable to release the plunger to actuate the control mechanism when the alarm mechanism is in operation, a rotatable index plate having'an arcuate guide slot engageable with the vibratory arm to normally restrain movement of the latter for a plurality of indexed positions of said plate, and said plate having an enlarged opening communicating with said guide slot, means engageable with the hour hand for each revolution of the latter and operatively connected to said index plate to intermittently index the latter to bring said enlarged opening of the index plate in position to disengage the vibratory arm and throw the alarm mechanism into operation at its predetermined time setting to actuate the pawl and ratchet mecha-' nism and release said latch from the vertically moveable plunger to effect actuation of the valve control mechanism.

GEORGE MORRISON. CHARLES CAMERON. 

